A Derby special school selected for a national role in training new teachers and supporting other schools, is celebrating its first batch of graduates.

St Giles School, in Hampshire Road, Chaddesden, was named as one of the UK’s newest National Support Schools and Teaching Schools in May 2018.

Staff from a range of partner schools and organisations work with St Giles; as the lead school, to form the Inclusive Teaching Alliance (iTSA).

And now six teachers from across the East Midlands have graduated from the scheme as newly-appointed and trained Specialist Leaders of Education (SLE’s). They will be able to use the skills learned at a recent training event to apply their leadership knowledge and skills into practice in other schools.

Deputy head Ian Armstrong and senior teacher Amanda Johnson, from Ivy House Special School, assistant heads Helen Roebuck, of Carlyle Infants, and Amy Dickens, of Carlton Digby Special School, Frazer Smith acting-deputy head at Brookfield Primary School and Andrew Beattie, an inclusion manager at Dale Community Primary School, are the first SLE graduates.

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Clive Lawrence, St Giles’ executive head teacher - was appointed by the government’s Department for Education as a National Leader of Education last year. He is delighted with the recent specialist leader appointments.

He said: “As a newly-formed Teaching School and National Support School, the SLE appointments mark an important milestone of iTSA’s work.

“I am confident that we have appointed exceptionally skilled leaders from a mixture of schools, who have the knowledge and expertise to support other leaders and practitioners on key school improvement issues, especially around meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs.

“I am passionate about the school-led improvement system, ensuring that schools are working in partnership to share best practice and improve outcomes for all children and young people.

“Our SLEs will play a pivotal role in this system and will provide a range of high-quality, research-led training and school-to-school support.”

Andrew Beattie, of Dale Community Primary School, feels that he has learned new skills, thanks to iTSA.

He said: “I have gained knowledge which I will be able to pass on to colleagues at other schools and I’ve also learned a lot about myself.

“The six newly-appointed and trained SLEs will now aim to make the most of everyone’s strengths in the group and offer our services to those schools who need the support.”

The aim of iTSA is to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs achieve the best possible outcomes by being fully included in their educational setting. St Giles, as lead school, receives £60,000 of additional Government funding to increase admin and leadership capacity.